Automatic valve for gauges



May l, 1928.

R. STAR AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR GAUGES Filed aroh ze. 1925 fli4l.

WITNESSES turned to its former position.

Patented May l, 1928.

UNITED sTATEs n 1,661,877 PATENT OFFICE.

nrcnaansraa, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonx.

.AUTOMATIC VALVE FOB GAUGES.

` application :meav maren as, 1925. serial Nn. 18,641.

This invention relates to valves for gauges and particularly to an improved valve used in tank gauges and has for an object to provide a construction wherein the tank gauge may be caused to properly function without danger of losin any of the'mercury forming part thereo Another object of the invention-is' to provide an air gauge valve used in connection with a mercury auge wherein the parts are so formed that t e' mercury willconine and then compress a quantity of air for closing the valve vand preventing the mercury from passing throu h the valve.

A still furt er object of the invention is to provide a valve for gauges wherein the mercury column is used for indicatin certain facts, the arts'being so forme that the mercury will caught when accidentally or otherwise forced from the mercury carrying member, and later automatically re` In the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is a viewl partly in e evation and partly in section showing a tank gauge with 'an embodiment of the invention applied thereto. i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical .sec-

tiona view throu h the valve shown in Fi ure 1, the same i ustrating in detail `certam features of the invention.- i

Figure '3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

In tank gauges used for indicating the levelof oil or other liquid therein, means p .trally thereof. The cap 13 is also provided have been provided heretofore for indicating suchlevel by a mercury column. This column is moved upwardly under p V and the tube 7. An outer shell 17 is mountedrii mercu the'action of air acting againstA the ressure f the liquid in the tank so that w 'en' the air pressure and theliquid pressureare the tively small pipe.

-to what is usually termed an actuator 3' connected to the tank l4 carrying 'a liquid.

same, the movement of the mercury will cease-and thereby indicate the depths of the liquid. In a device of this kind, an air pump 1 is provided which pum s air into the air system 2 which .is referab y' a comparais pipe is connected 5. The liquid 5 isallowed to pass into the actuator 3 so that air in the pipe or systemv 2 .must'balance the-pressure of the liquid in order to show accurately the amount of -oil in tank 4. When this has been done, the mercury 6 in the glasstube 7 will be forced upto `t e desired point and the graduations .socket or recess 19 in base 9.

7 will indicate the level of oilf In order that the mercury 6` may travel upwardl properly; the upper end of the glass tube is open and the air will thereby be allowed to escape freely. Gauges of the type described have been heretofore used and, therefore, form no part of the present invention.

almost instantly project all or a large art of the mercury 6 out through the topl o the tube 7. When there is nothing provided for catching the mercury, it is com letelyused an'd in any event, the testing desned will not be accomplished.

In the present invention, an improved valve8 is provided at the top ofthe tube 7- l which will catch the mercuryl and return the same Vto the tube 7 so that an accurate readproperly operated. The valve 8 is shown in "so `ing may be secured whenA the pump 1 is detail in Figures 2 and 3 frtm which it will be seen that this valve is provided with a base 9 having a hollow extension 10 for receiving 'the upper end of the tube 7 which may be held in place by frictionI or in any desired way. A pair of screws 11 and 12 areV threaded into `base 9 and extend throu h a cap 13 as well as through a plate 14, w ich late has a raised portion 15 positioned cenwith a small passage-way or vent 16 which ermits air to enter and leave the valve 8 13 and in a y e shell 17 is preferably held in place ,by frictionthough it mi ht be heldin pIlace by adhesive or other suite 1el means.. owever, the parts are iitted together so as to be substantially airtight. A tubular valve member 20 is loosely in a socket or recess 18 of ca valve member 20 at the bottom. The valve member 20 is provided wit-h a-.closed to or end 23 carrying 'a packing washer or pa '24 whichl is adapted topress against the cap 13 uml mounted in casing 17, said valve member'bel and cover the vent 16 when valve member 20 is raised. The A-sbaped section 15 of strip 14 is provided in order to permit air to freely enter and escape from vent 16 and at the same time protectuthe vent against the entrance of foreign matter.

In operation, whenever pump 1 is operated in the proper manner, the mercury 6 will gradually move upwardly until it indicates the proper level of liquid 5. In case the pum 1 should, however, be operated rather forci ly a number of times, the mercury 6 would quickly move upwardly and out the -upper end of tube 7. As it moves out of the upper end of tube 7 -it will pass upwardly into the valve member 20 and' close the notches 22 as well as confine a large quantity of air in the upper part ofthe valve member. As the mercury continues to move upwardly into the valve member 20, it will compress the air therein more and more and eventually raise the valve member until the washer or gasket 24 has completely closed the vent 18. If additional mercury moves upwardly and out of the upper end of tube 7 after vent 18 has been closed, it will merely compress the air in the valve member 20 and possibly a small quantity will pass through apertures 22 but will. not rise very far in the casing 17. As soon as the pressure in the system 2 has been reduced, the mercury will automatically, lunder the action of gravity and the action of compressed air, move back into tube 7 until it is finally all back in tube 7 and a quantity of air is drawn in through vent 16 which is open as the valve member 20 moves back to the position shown in Fi re 2, as soon as the pressure thereon has een removed. By this action of the valve not only is the mercury saved from loss but is automatically reinserted into the tube 7 and the accuracy of the instrument is not impaired.

What I claim is A valve of the character described, comprising a base recessed on its inner face and having an opening at the center of the recess, said opening serving as inlet and exit for the liquid, a cap recessed on its inner face and provided with an air vent at the center of the recess, an open ended shell between the base and cap with its ends in the recesses of the cap and base, a plate on the ca and having a transversely extending raised) portion over the air vent and forming a guard for the same, bolts securing the baseand cap together and the plate on the cap, and au elongated cylindrical hollow valve member loose in the shell and having an open and notched lower end and a closed up er end provided with a pad, said valve mem r normally resting upon the bottom of the recess of the base over the opening thereof, and its closed upper end spaced from the cap below the air vent.

RICHARD STAR. 

